Wimbledon

Well summer 2012 is definitely a sporty one, particularly if you are, like us, residents of London. I'm gaily ignoring the Euros, much to my husband's disgust, but one event us gather girls get excited over is Wimbledon! This year, one of us (but sadly not me...) is off to SW19 to eat strawberries, drink pimms and perve over Nadal watch the tennis and cheer Murray on.

The rules of Wimbledon's dress code for the players is notoriously strict - players must wear all white (or mostly white is now acceptable). This lot seem to have the right idea:

We Heart Vintage

Feeling inspired? Why not try out one of these vintage lovelies and make your own! Perfect in both a crisp white eyelet or silky soft jersey. Tennis anyone?

Sewing habits

I've noticed recently that I do something a bit odd when sewing.

No, I don't sew naked. Nor can I only sew whilst listening to thrash metal. Or whale song. And it's not that I keep my sewing tools lined up in alphabetical order.

I've realised that when I start sewing a seam, the first pin I remove ALWAYS goes in my mouth, between my teeth. The rest of them go back in the pincushion as they're removed. Only when I've removed whatever I'm sewing from the machine and snipped the threads do I remove the pin!

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I've got absolutely no idea why or when I started doing this but it seems to have stuck! What about you? Got any eccentric sewing habits or superstitions you want to share? Go on, we won't judge. I promise.

Crochet and TV. The perfect combination?

Coincidentally both Sandra and I, in our 'spare time', have been doing a spot of crochet. I've eventually finished off a granny square blanket for a friends new baby and Sandra is working on a blanket for herself!

For me, I find it to be a very relaxing pastime when I need to take a break from the sewing machine. Plus (and this is a very big plus!) you can do it in front of the TV. I'm currently trying to finish Mad Men so I can start on my new box set of Breaking Bad. I adored the original Killing series but found the subtitles frustrating - you need to pay attention and look at the screen the entire time so crafting is a no go! Same with The Wire, I had to pay total attention or I got a bit lost...

What's the ultimate series to craft in front of?! My vote goes for Mad Men, you can indulge in a bit of fantasy dressing up at the same time and lets face it, we all heart Don Draper right?

Variations on a pattern - Colette Macaron

There is a great post over on Tilly's blog right now about Stitcher's Indecision (an ailment I suffer from mildly but that's another blog post entirely...). She talks about "the ability to design bespoke garments exactly how you want them. You choose the colour, the style, the fit, the neckline, the sleeve, the buttons..."

This is one of the reasons why I love dressmaking so much. We've been making design changes to our pattern recently but I keep having to remind myself that the beauty of home sewing patterns is you have the freedom to make those changes yourself! I love to see how different people interpret patterns and I also love how the same pattern can look completely different simply by changing up fabrics and embellishments.

One of my current favourites is the Macaron by Colette. Here are just a few versions which prove how versatile it can be.

The classic LBD by Sibeli- simple but so chic, I like the sheer fabric next to the Ikat print. The skirt looks more fitted and not using a contrasting fabric for the waistband gives it a really nice, clean look.

The vintage fabric day dress by Kathie - colourful, summery and cute. This version uses vintage fabrics and I particularly love those stripes. She's added piping to the bodice and also a small fabric detail at the bust but otherwise has remained true to the original pattern.

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The a-line, rose print slip dress by Natasha - this one is the most altered but possibly my favourite! She's kept the sweetheart neckline and sleeves but completely changed the shape of the dress. I like how there's no contrasting fabric but by using lining you can still clearly see the shaping at the yolk.

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Got a favourite? Check out some of the OWOP posts for some more variations on a theme!

Progress and Packaging

Things are still ticking along nicely at gather HQ. Our pattern is SO nearly there, but we've decided to make a few last minute design changes which has slowed us down a little. We've tweaked a sleeve, lowered a neckline - all little details that you don't realise make a massive difference until you have a few finished dresses in front of you! 


Our slow-down has given us chance to start thinking about our packaging though. Here's some of what we've been looking at for inspiration.

From top left clockwise:
Wax Seal by Follow Studio
Striped String by Folly & Glee
Printed Paper Bag by Peach Blossom
Striped Ribbon by Jane Means
Canvas Bag by Under the Sycamore
Mast Brothers Chocolate

What do you think? Have you got any examples of amazing packaging that you've seen - sewing related or not? We'd love to see!

Tuesday's Gathering

I'm always drawn to richly-coloured dense prints. As hard as I try for the benefit of my wardrobe to buy and make plain classic clothing so that I can at least pretend that I'm sophisticated, I always get sidelined by yet another an amazing print dress or wildly patterned fabric. Ikat therefore, is just my thing.

1. Kookai Ikat Print Shorts (via Asos)
2. Matthew Williamson Ikat Print Stretch Coton Blend Skinny Pants

3. Anthropologie Ruffled Ikat Chemise

4. Warehouse Silk Ikat Print Jacket

5. Thakoon Ikat Print Silk Crepe Top (via Net-a-Porter)

6. Topshop Ikat Print Leggings

Traditionally ikat fabric is produced in a similar way to tie-dyed fabric, except that the threads themselves are bound and dyed before they are woven into cloth. The good old V&A has some wonderful examples of traditional Central Asian ikat clothing from the 19th century here.

Although I doubt these are strictly ikat fabrics, there are some fabulous takes on the idea out there.

1. Amy Butler Lark Persimmon
2. Magnificat Avocodo
3. John Kaldor Cannes (via Sew Essential)
4. Liberty Landis A Tana Lawn
5. Robert Allen Plaid Ikat
6. Ada Chartreuse

A progress update

We're hard at work at the moment working on our final samples and we've now made what will (hopefully!) be our last design alterations. The dress is looking great! To the relief of both of us we've also moved on from making up calico versions to using fabrics we're considering for our kits. We're testing various fabrics, seeing what works best with the design. It's so lovely to be working with great prints rather than endless beige!

Hopefully we will soon be ready for pattern testers to volunteer their services. If you're at all interested in testing our pattern then keep an eye out on this blog or come and follow us on twitter: @gatherkits

We'll be putting the call out as soon as we're ready for you!